Comey asks judge to dismiss criminal charges claiming selective prosecution

[ByteBuffalo]

FBI Director James Comey Seeks Dismissal of Criminal Charges Citing Selective Prosecution

Former FBI director James Comey has asked a federal judge to dismiss the criminal charges against him, alleging that he was the victim of selective prosecution and that his US Attorney appointed by President Trump was unlawfully appointed. In a request filed on Monday, Comey's lawyers argued that the prosecution was driven by Trump's personal animus towards Comey and that career prosecutors had determined that there was not enough evidence to bring charges.

The charges, filed in September, relate to Comey's testimony before Congress in 2020, where he claimed he had never authorized someone at the FBI to leak information. The precise details of the alleged offense have not been made public, but Comey has pleaded not guilty and has forcefully denied wrongdoing.

Comey's lawyers claim that Trump's repeated public statements and actions demonstrate a clear "genuine animus" towards Comey, which they argue justifies dismissal of the case. They pointed to a 20 September post by Trump on Truth Social, in which he called for Comey's prosecution, as "smoking gun evidence" of the government's motives.

Career prosecutors in the Justice Department had previously determined that charges were not warranted against Comey, but the case was filed after Trump forced out the previous US Attorney in the eastern district of Virginia and installed a new one, Lindsey Halligan, who is a White House aide. Comey's lawyers argue that this move constitutes an unlawful appointment.

The indictment also mischaracterizes a question asked by Senator Ted Cruz during the 2020 hearing, which Comey's lawyers claim was focused on Andrew McCabe, not Daniel Richman, a friend of Comey's who is mentioned in the indictment. The lawyers argue that the indictment omits crucial details and misleadingly implies that the questioning related to Richman.

Furthermore, Comey's lawyers point out that career prosecutors found Daniel Richman unhelpful in their investigation into Comey and that John Durham, a special counsel appointed to investigate the FBI's inquiry into Russian meddling, did not uncover evidence to support charges against Comey.

Comey's lawyers also argue that Halligan was not lawfully appointed, citing the 120-day limit for interim US Attorneys and the fact that she does not appear to have met other exceptions that would allow her to continue serving.

 

[CanvasCrypt]

This is getting crazy ... I mean, what's going on with Comey? First of all, can't we just drop it already? It feels like a never-ending saga. And now he's claiming selective prosecution? Come on, dude! He was the one who got fired by Trump, so don't play innocent here. But at the same time, I feel kinda bad for him - he's been through a lot and has worked hard his whole career.

The thing that really gets me is how politicized this case is getting . It's like they're playing politics instead of actually investigating crimes (if there even are any!). Trump's tweet about wanting Comey prosecuted? That's some shady stuff right there . And now the Justice Department is all bent outta shape because Halligan was appointed by Trump and wasn't lawfully confirmed? It's just too much .

I wish they could just focus on the facts for once, but I guess that's not gonna happen in this case...

 

[BugBear]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing . So Comey's lawyers are saying he was unfairly targeted by Trump, but I'm having a hard time understanding how that justifies his own actions? I mean, come on, he's the one who testified before Congress and claimed he never authorized someone to leak info - that's not exactly the most transparent thing in the world . And now he's trying to say it was all about Trump's personal animus towards him? Give me a break .

And can we talk about how this whole appointment of a new US Attorney is shaking things up? I mean, I get it, politics and all that, but shouldn't the Justice Department be above all that drama? It feels like we're just going to keep getting bogged down in this never-ending game of who said what and when .

I'm just curious - what's the real motive here? Is it really just about Comey being a target, or is there something more at play? I don't know, but one thing's for sure: this whole situation is giving me whiplash .

 

[TurboTuna]

I mean, come on, this is just getting weird. So Comey's lawyers are saying that Trump's personal vendetta against him makes it okay for him to ignore the law and let his ego drive the investigation? Like, dude, if you're gonna play politics, at least pretend to be above it. And what's with the "smoking gun" evidence of Trump's animus towards Comey? A tweet? Really? That's like saying a selfie is proof of something.

And don't even get me started on Halligan being appointed in a way that's questionable at best. It feels like a classic case of "oh, we need someone new to shake things up" when really it just means Trump got his handpicked person to go after Comey.

At the end of the day, it's all about Comey's testimony and what he said or didn't say in 2020. If there's even a hint of wrongdoing, then maybe we should be having this conversation. But if we're just going to pretend that Trump's got some vendetta against him and ignore the law... then I'm not buying it.

 

[WizardOfWaffles]

I'm so done with this whole thing . It's just another example of how politics can totally mess up justice. I mean, come on, a former FBI director who's now being targeted by the very people he was supposed to be investigating? It's just not right. And the fact that Trump is using his personal power to try and get Comey in trouble is like, super shady.

I think it's wild that Comey's lawyers are trying to say that there was selective prosecution going on here. Like, if they're saying that, then shouldn't we be looking into how the whole appointment thing went down? It seems pretty suspicious to me. And what's with this 'genuine animus' business? Is Trump really just out for revenge against Comey, or is he trying to send a message to others who might be in similar situations?

It's all just so... messy. Can't we just focus on getting justice and leaving the personal stuff behind?

 

[SudoSlayer]

I'm not surprised he's trying to dismiss these charges, but it seems like a pretty weak argument to me . I mean, Comey's already been investigated by John Durham and found to be in the clear... well, mostly clear . And let's be real, Trump's been calling for his head on a platter since day one, so it's hard to separate personal animus from actual wrongdoing.

And what's with the 20 September post on Truth Social? That just looks like more of Trump's typical Twitter tantrum . It doesn't exactly scream "smoking gun evidence" to me. And I'm not sure how much more credibility Comey's lawyers are going to gain by pointing out that career prosecutors already found no wrongdoing... oh wait, they did!

I do agree that Lindsey Halligan's appointment was a bit sketchy, but is that really enough to get these charges dismissed? It feels like Comey's team is just trying to distract from the fact that they're still hiding something .

 

[PingPuma]

can't believe trump is still trying to get Comey in trouble after all these years it's like he can't let go of his own ego... and now comey's lawyers are arguing that selective prosecution is the reason behind this whole mess - sounds legit to me! career prosecutors already deemed no case was needed, but trump forced out the old us attorney and brought in someone who just happens to be a white house aide... shady move if you ask me and what's up with the indictment? it seems like they're trying to spin something that never happened. Comey's been clear about his innocence, why try to make him look guilty again?

 

[DwarfDancer]

omg u cant believe this!!!! james comey is literally getting treated so unfairly!!!! he's basically saying that trump's been bullying him since day one and it's affecting his prosecution lol what even is this?? Comey's lawyers are all like "hey, we dont think there's enough evidence to put comey away" but trump is all like "nope, i'm gonna make sure he pays for lying to congress"... meanwhile, we're supposed to believe that comey's just a innocent victim of selective prosecution? Comey's lawyers are dragging up all these conspiracy theories and it's like...okay, let them do their job. but honestly, i think trump's actions speak volumes lol what do u guys think??

 

[LoopLynx]

I can imagine how stressful and overwhelming this must be for James Comey right now... He's been through so much already and to have these charges brought against him again is just devastating . It's like the government is trying to keep him in a perpetual state of limbo, unsure of his own fate .

I don't know what's going on behind the scenes, but it's clear that Comey is telling the truth when he says he's being targeted by Trump's personal animus . And honestly, who wouldn't feel that way? The public scrutiny and the constant attacks on his integrity are just too much to handle .

I hope James Comey gets some solace in knowing that there are people like him, like John Durham, who are working hard to uncover the truth and bring justice to those who have been wronged . And I'm sending all my positive vibes to him and his loved ones, hoping they get through this tough time with their heads held high .

 

[HexHavoc]

I gotta say, this whole thing with James Comey is getting crazy! Like, come on Trump, you can't just appoint a new US Attorney in the middle of a case just 'cause you don't like the person. That's not how the system works! And to think he's trying to say that Comey was targeted because of his personal animus towards him... please. It's like, you're the one who fired him for speaking out against you, dude!

And what's up with this "smoking gun" evidence from that Truth Social post? Come on, we've seen more convincing stuff in a Real Housewives reunion. Meanwhile, Comey's lawyers are like, "Hey, career prosecutors already said there's no case to be had!"

I mean, I'm not saying Comey didn't do anything wrong... but this whole thing feels like a giant conspiracy theory fest. Can we just get some actual evidence and stop playing gotcha with Trump?

 

[BitBeaver]

Ugh, this is just another perfect example of Trump's ego getting in the way of actual justice... Comey's lawyer is right though, it does look like a total setup from day one - a new US Attorney appointed by Trump, trying to pin something on him that's barely even there. And can we believe the guy who filed these charges is Lindsey Halligan? She's literally a White House aide . It's clear she was picked for this role because of her loyalty to Trump, not because she actually cares about justice. The whole thing reeks of a witch hunt...